Cyberpunk

A subgenre of science fiction that nerds can never agree on the exact meaning of. A good guide line though is the two words in that portmanteau: "cyber" and "punk." Does the movie/book/show/comic/whatever in question have a heavy emphasis on technology? (As opposed to aliens, space exploration, time travel, etc.) Then it's got the "cyber." Does it have a punk-like feel to it? (Dark, neon-filled setting, black leather and sunglasses, techno-punk soundtrack, devil-may-care attitudes, etc.) Then it's got the "punk." Depending on which nerd you ask, examples of cyberpunk include: "The Matrix," "Blade Runner," "The Terminator," "Total Recall," "Snow Crash," "Neuromancer," "Burning Chrome," "Hammerjack," "Altered Carbon," "Shadowrun," "Repo: The Genetic Opera," "Inception," "Ultraviolet," "Aeon Flux," "Tron," and probably tons of other classic examples this writer is forgetting. Cliches to look for, that may indicate a cyberpunk story: - Hackers - Virtual reality - A dark (in any sense of the word) future - Sunglasses - Leather - Pimpin' suits - Razor Girls - Techno music - Neon - Urban settings - Evil corporate dudes - Anything related to Japan - Spunky teenage couriers on wheels (skateboards, bikes, roller blades, etc.) - A wise and mysterious black dude - Sarcasm - Robots - Gratuitous action/violence/boobies - Hearing yourself say "Damn this is so cheesy, but I love it so much!" - Giant, futuristic blimps